Devices and methods to provide air circulation space proximate to insulation material

ABSTRACT

Insulation spacer devices, methods and related construction techniques are provided. An exemplary device may include a body having a plurality of openings defining an openwork, to allow the passage of air therethrough when placed in contact with insulation material. The device may further include a plurality of spacer struts and/or spacing depressions fixedly attached to the body. The struts may be configured to maintain a predetermined distance between a first side of the insulation material and a building surface. The body and struts act together to define and maintain a space between the first side of the insulation material and the building surface, for example, for ventilation. The building surface can be the bottom face of a roof, an insulated attic floor, wall sheathing or a soundproofed demising wall, for example. The spacer device can be capable of being transported and stored together with, or as a separate item from, the insulation material, and can also be stored in nested layers. The device can also be stored in rolled form. The openwork of the device can additionally or alternatively include a sheet of Entangled net filaments or other similar material.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This patent application is a continuation of and claims the benefit ofpriority of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/101,334, filed May 5,2011, which in turn is a continuation-in-part of and claims the benefitof priority to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/788,132, filed May26, 2010, which in turn is a continuation-in-part of and claims thebenefit of priority to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/649,946,filed Dec. 30, 2009, which is a continuation of and claims the benefitof priority to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/139,442, filed Jun.13, 2008 and issued Feb. 12, 2010 as U.S. Pat. No. 7,654,051, which is acontinuation-in-part of and claims the benefit of priority to U.S.patent application Ser. No. 11/203,354, filed Aug. 12, 2005 and issuedDec. 2, 2008 as U.S. Pat. No. 7,458,189, which in turn claims thebenefit of priority of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No.60/634,823, filed Dec. 9, 2004. This patent application is acontinuation of and claims the benefit of priority of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 13/101,334, filed May 5, 2011, which in turn is acontinuation-in-part of and claims the benefit of priority to U.S.patent application Ser. No. 12/788,132, which in turn is acontinuation-in-part of and claims the benefit of priority to U.S.patent application Ser. No. 12/649,946, filed Dec. 30, 2009, which inturn claims the benefit of priority to U.S. patent application Ser. No.12/139,442, filed Jun. 13, 2008, which in turn claims the benefit ofpriority of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/943,692,filed Jun. 13, 2007, and U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No.61/035,360, filed Mar. 10, 2008. This patent application is acontinuation of and claims the benefit of priority of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 13/101,334, filed May 5, 2011, which in turn is acontinuation-in-part of and claims the benefit of priority to U.S.patent application Ser. No. 12/788,132, which in turn claims the benefitof priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/181,125,filed May 27, 2009 and U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No.61/321,130, filed Apr. 5, 2010. This patent application is acontinuation of and claims the benefit of priority of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 13/101,334, filed May 5, 2011, which in turn is acontinuation-in-part of and claims the benefit of priority to U.S.patent application Ser. No. 12/399,768, filed Mar. 6, 2009, which inturn is a continuation-in-part of and claims benefit of priority fromU.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/348,181, filed Feb. 6, 2006 andissued as U.S. Pat. No. 7,503,534, which in turn claims the benefit ofpriority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/650,203, filedFeb. 4, 2005. This patent application is a continuation of and claimsthe benefit of priority of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/101,334,filed May 5, 2011, which in turn is a continuation-in-part of and claimsthe benefit of priority from U.S. patent application Ser. No.12/819,557, filed Jun. 21, 2010, which in turn is a continuation of andclaims the benefit of priority from International Application No.PCT/US2009/038056, filed Mar. 24, 2009, which in turn claims the benefitof priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No.61/039,429, filed Mar. 26, 2008, and U.S. Provisional Patent ApplicationSer. No. 61/054,805, filed May 20, 2008. This patent application is acontinuation of and claims the benefit of priority of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 13/101,334, filed May 5, 2011, which in turn is acontinuation-in-part of and claims the benefit of priority from U.S.patent application Ser. No. 12/575,439, filed Oct. 7, 2009, which inturn claims the benefit of priority of U.S. Provisional PatentApplication Ser. No. 61/103,613, filed Oct. 8, 2008. This patentapplication is a continuation of and claims the benefit of priority ofU.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/101,334, filed May 5, 2011, which inturn is a continuation-in-part of and claims the benefit of priorityfrom U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/582,748, filed Oct. 21, 2009,which in turn claims the benefit of priority of U.S. Provisional PatentApplication Ser. No. 61/107,337, filed Oct. 21, 2008. This patentapplication is a continuation of and claims the benefit of priority ofU.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/101,334, filed May 5, 2011, which inturn is a continuation-in-part of and claims the benefit of priorityfrom U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/823,948, filed Jun. 25, 2010.This patent application is a continuation of and claims the benefit ofpriority of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/101,334, filed May 5,2011, which in turn is a continuation-in-part of and claims the benefitof priority from U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/723,185, filed Mar.12, 2010, which in turn claims the benefit of priority of U.S.Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/159,776, filed Mar. 12, 2009.This patent application is a continuation of and claims the benefit ofpriority of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/101,334, filed May 5,2011, which in turn is a continuation-in-part of and claims the benefitof priority from U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/749,358, filed Mar.29, 2010, which in turn claims the benefit of priority of U.S.Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/164,424, filed Mar. 29, 2009.This patent application is a continuation of and claims the benefit ofpriority of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/101,334, filed May 5,2011, which in turn claims the benefit of priority of U.S. ProvisionalPatent Application Ser. No. 61/345,144, filed May 16, 2010, U.S.Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/332,756, filed May 8, 2010,U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/332,141, filed May 6,2010, U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/390,915, filedOct. 7, 2010, U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/412,958,filed Nov. 12, 2010, U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No.61/445,631, filed Feb. 23, 2011, and U.S. Provisional Patent ApplicationSer. No. 61/418,456, filed Dec. 1, 2010. This patent application is alsorelated to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/317,271,filed Mar. 24, 2010 and U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No.61/310,383, filed Mar. 4, 2010. The disclosure of each of theaforementioned patent applications is incorporated by reference hereinin its entirety for any purpose whatsoever.

COPYRIGHT NOTICE

A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains materialwhich is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has noobjection to the reproduction by anyone of the patent document or patentdisclosure as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office, patent fileor records, but otherwise reserves all copyrights whatsoever.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates primarily to devices and systems formaintaining air circulation space proximate to thermal or otherinsulation. Particularly, the present invention is directed to a deviceto maintain ventilation space proximate thermal insulation in order tofacilitate expulsion of heat and moisture from the insulation.

2. Description of Related Art

Thermal insulation is required to reduce the energy loss from structuresfor the purposes of maintaining comfortable interior spaces both inheating months and cooling months. The need to reduce the consumption offossil fuels and the “greenhouse effect” has required theever-increasing improvement in insulation values. Dimensional lumbersizes used in the framing of structures, and standard dimensions oflight steel framing members have not changed significantly in manyyears. The depth of framing members and therefore the insulation cavityare determined by structural requirements which, for the foregoingreason, have remained fairly constant. Exterior wall, floor and roofconstruction is where thermal insulation is most commonly used. Theever-increasing thickness requirements for fibrous insulation, which isthe most commonly-used and economical insulation type for insulatingframing cavities, makes adequate ventilation of this insulation moredifficult to achieve. Increased thickness of other types of insulationfor thermal or other (e.g., sound) purposes, such as certain rigid foamsand the like, also present ventilation problems, particularly if thematerial is porous to any degree.

Insulation used in roofs has the most crucial requirement forventilation over the top of the insulating materials. Roofs are requiredto have the greatest amount of thermal insulation, since as heat risesto the highest point of a space, it creates the highest differentialbetween inside and outside temperatures of any part of the so-called“thermal envelope” and therefore is the area of the greatest heat lossduring the heating season. During the cooling season, heat from the sunheats the roof to such an extent that it becomes the greatest source ofheat gain. Use of dark-colored roofing materials only worsens theproblem. In the heating and cooling seasons, insulation absorbs heat inthe daytime as part of the insulation cycle. That heat must be expelledduring the cooler night time hours to be ready to store new heat duringthe next daylight period, which helps slow down heat transfer throughthe insulation and into the structure. If ventilation is inadequate, ornon-existent, the heat will not be adequately expelled from theinsulation and the effectiveness of the system will be reduced. However,as the heat is expelled during the night and cools down, the insulationabsorbs moisture, because the cool night air is usually relatively damp.Ventilation during daylight hours expels the moisture as the insulationis heated. If ventilation is not adequate, insulation can becomecompletely saturated with moisture and ruin drywall, plaster and ceilingfinishes, causing interior dripping and risking collapse of the ceiling.Prolonged and/or frequent water retention can also promote mildew, moldand rotting of the roof structure. In today's era of more “efficient”building technology with fewer places for air to penetrate to ventilateinsulation, wet insulation and the aforementioned mildew and moldproblems can become very serious, often affecting the health ofoccupants exposed to the mold. If mold is present in large quantities,it is sometimes referred to as “sick building syndrome.”

For similar reasons, wall systems may require ventilation. Vaporbarriers are often installed under drywall; or insulation batting isprovided with an impermeable plastic or foil layer. However, if any partof the system is faulty, is improperly installed or becomes damaged,moisture can penetrate into the insulation and reduce its effectivenessand/or cause any of the aforementioned problems such as mold. Water andmoisture can also penetrate insulation from the outside if externalsheathings, sidings or wall penetrations such as windows, doors orlouvers are faulty. Accordingly, proper ventilation of the insulationwithin wall cavities can be crucial.

A variety of methods, systems and products have been developed forattempting to maintain a ventilation space proximate to thermalinsulation. However, such conventional methods and systems suffer fromcertain significant deficiencies.

Before legislation brought about insulation requirements for roofs,floors and exterior walls, the ventilation cavity between the top ofinsulation (e.g., fibrous insulation) and sheathing was formed by simplyhaving an insulation thickness less than the void depth.

As environmental concerns brought about the creation of energyconstruction codes, and these codes started to require greaterthicknesses of insulation, it became necessary for the insulation to beinstalled carefully. The practice of “patting-down” the top of theinsulation during installation came about and was initially sufficient.As the thicknesses of insulation continued to increase, the Rafter-Vent®product was developed. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,125,971, 4,406,095, 5,341,612and 5,600,928 are examples of such existing technology. Other patentssuch as U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,102,092, 4,214,510, 4,446,661 and 4,660,463disclose devices concerned with maintaining ventilation over insulationat the eaves only, but do not maintain ventilation spaces over theentire length of the rafters.

The problems with the Rafter-Vent® and similar products are significant.FIGS. 6 and 7 illustrate this prior art product. FIG. 6 shows theRafter-Vent® product used in a first orientation. When the Rafter-Vent®product is positioned as depicted up-side-down, the insulation can stillfluff between the contact points and block most of the airflow.Nevertheless, it still provides some ventilation to the insulation. FIG.7 shows the Rafter-Vent® product used in the opposite orientationrecommended by the manufacturer for roof venting. The bottom of the“U”-shaped cross section is against the insulation. Because the bottomsurface of the “U” is a solid, relatively imperforate surface and isusually stapled tightly to roof sheathing, it almost completelyseals-off the insulation from the ventilation space. Additionally,because the most popularly used versions of Rafter-Vent® products aremade of approximately ¼″ thick styrene foam plastic, it also blocks theescape of heat via conduction from the insulation because theRafter-Vent® product itself is an insulating material. An additionaldrawback to the Rafter-Vent® product is that it is supplied to aconstruction site in a nested bundle. Frequently, it is delivered alongwith the lumber in four or eight foot long bundles. Because it isfragile, very light in weight, and easily broken, and usually sits onthe construction site for a long period of time before it is used,construction sites are often littered with pieces of this product. Oncethe bundle is opened and not carefully stored, wind can pick up thelarge, extremely light panels and scatter them causing litter onconstruction sites and the neighborhoods surrounding them.

FIG. 6 is a sectional view through several bays of roof structure andinsulation illustrating use of the Rafter-Vent® product in a firstorientation that would provide limited possibility for maintainingventilation to the insulation material 16. However, as is evident fromFIG. 6, tightly packed insulation can still force itself into the formof the Rafter-Vent® product and block ventilation. FIG. 7 is a sectionalview through several bays of roof structure and insulation illustratingthe use of the Rafter-Vent® product in a second orientation byinstalling it as recommended for eave vents. As is evident from FIG. 7,most of the insulation's surface area is sealed-off from the ventilationspace by the Rafter-Vent® product, as noted above, because theRafter-Vent® product is made from foam plastic, which is itself aninsulator, and it effectively prevents the expulsion of built-up heatfrom the fibrous insulation mass.

Reference numeral 15 indicates the roof sheathing, reference numeral 18indicates the fibrous insulation mass, and reference numeral 21indicates a typical rafter in a “cathedral” ceiling, “tray” ceiling orflat roof assembly or attic joists with storage floor boards attached.

The Rafter-Vent® product thus has significant deficiencies because itdoes not insure a uniform ventilation space and because versions of itare frequently used “correctly” rendering it ineffective for the purposethat should be intended.

As briefly mentioned above, the method used prior to the advent of theRafter-Vent® product to form the air space was the action of theinsulation installer patting the insulation down with his hand. Thisearlier method was, to some extent, superior to the Rafter-Vent conceptsince airflow was not essentially completely blocked by an impermeablefoam plastic layer. However, with increased thicknesses of insulationrequired, the “patting down” method does not work today, because it isnecessary to resist the force of the compressed insulation in order tomaintain the ventilation space.

Thus, as is evident from the related art, conventional methods areineffective for maintaining an insulation space that permits adequateventilation of insulation material. There thus remains a serious needfor an efficient, simple and economic method and system for maintainingan insulation space proximate to thermal or acoustic insulation materialin a building. There also remains a need for structural techniques andbuilding designs that further facilitate the ventilation of insulationspaces. Embodiments of the present invention provide solutions for theseas well as other problems.

SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

The purpose and advantages of the present invention will be set forthin, and be apparent from, the description that follows, as well as willbe learned by practice of the invention. Additional advantages of theinvention will be realized and attained by the methods and systemsparticularly pointed out in the written description and claims hereof,as well as from the appended drawings.

To achieve these and other advantages and in accordance with the purposeof the invention, as embodied and broadly described, in accordance withone embodiment, the invention includes a spacer device including a bodyhaving a plurality of openings defining an openwork, to allowventilation when placed in contact with insulation material, and aplurality of struts fixedly attached to the body. The struts can beconfigured to maintain a predetermined distance between a first side ofthe insulation and an external or internal surface of a building,whereby the body and struts act to define a ventilation space betweenthe unfaced side of the insulation and the building surface facing theinsulation.

The spacer device according to the invention can be used with any typeof insulated building surface, but it is especially recommended for thebottom face of a roof, an attic floor or wall sheathing, such that aventilation space is defined between the insulation and the roof, atticfloor or wall sheathing.

In accordance with still a further aspect of the invention, the devicecan be provided in such a form that is capable of being transported andstored as a separate item from the insulation. In accordance with aspecific embodiment of the invention, the device is stored in nestedlayers. Alternatively, the device can be stored in rolled form.

In accordance with another aspect of the invention, a system is providedwhich includes the spacer device as described herein above, wherein thedevice is attached to the insulation material, which itself may befibrous, rigid foam or another type of insulation. The combined spacerdevice or strut and insulation material construct can be packed face toface, in pairs with the spacing struts facing each other, such that thestruts of one assembly penetrates through the openwork body into theinsulation material of the other body in the example of fibrousinsulation.

In accordance with yet a further aspect of the invention, the struts canbe provided with a height of between about 0.25 and 6 inches. Morepreferably, the struts can be provided with a height between about 0.75and 3 inches. Even more preferably, the struts can be provided with aheight between about 1.0 and 1.75 inches. Most preferably, the strutscan be provided with a height of about 1.0 and 1.5 inches.

In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the spacer strutscan be formed integrally with the openwork body, or can be attached withadhesive or welded to the body using heat, ultrasonic techniques,solvent bonding, mechanical attachment such as insertion into a tighthole in the body (e.g., an interference fit), snapped or secured by anenlarged bulb in the strut or annular rings, or other forms ofattachment that can resist the heat and other forces encountered duringshipping, storage, deployment and use. The spacer struts, if attached tothe body rather than integrally formed with the openwork body can beindividual units wherein each strut is formed with an attaching pod ofcircular, square, or any other geometric shape, or the struts may bepart of a body having a plurality of struts attached or formed theretoin the form of a strip or other geometric shape which is attached to theopenwork body.

In accordance with a further aspect of the invention, the body andstruts can be compressed with the attached fibrous insulation materialand packaged into a rolled form. In accordance with this aspect of theinvention, the struts can be bent or folded parallel to the body of thedevice during packaging to take up less space. Moreover, the struts canbe provided with a shape memory characteristic such that the strutsdeploy substantially perpendicular to the body of the device when theinsulation is unpackaged by a user.

In accordance with still a further aspect of the invention, a device andmethod of using the device as generally described herein is providedwherein the body is defined by a plurality of overlapping strips forminga crisscross, parallelogram pattern and defining openings between thestrips permitting air circulation. In further accordance with thisaspect of the invention, the struts can be mounted at junctures of thestrips so as to act as pivot points for the strips. Having the stripspivotally attached to one another, in turn, can permit the width of theventilation maintenance device to be adjusted to fit one or more widthspaces in accordance with a method of the invention.

In accordance with still another aspect of the invention, a spacerdevice is provided including a body having a plurality of openingsdefining an openwork to allow ventilation when placed in contact withinsulation material, wherein the body includes a mass of entangled rigidfilaments. The body can be configured to maintain a predetermineddistance between a first side of the insulation and a building surface,the body acting to define a ventilation space between the first side ofthe insulation and the surface. Moreover, the body can be configuredinto a three-dimensional form suitable for nesting multiple devices forshipping and storage. For example, the body can be formed in anaccordion fashion.

In further accordance with the invention, a method is provided. Inaccordance with one aspect of the method of the invention, a device formaintaining an insulation space as described herein is provided, and apiece of insulation material (preferably fibrous insulation) is alsoprovided. The method includes the steps of placing the device formaintaining the insulation space proximate to the insulation material,and installing the components into a structure such that the device formaintaining the insulation space is interposed between buildingstructure and the insulation material to permit ventilation of theinsulation. Preferably, the device is interposed between exposed fibrousinsulation material and the underside of a roof sheathing or theunderside of an unheated attic floor. However, the device can beinterposed between the thermal insulation material and a wall structure,as desired.

In further accordance with the invention, an exemplary method isprovided of packaging a device for maintaining an insulation space. Themethod includes providing a device as herein described, and the step ofcompressing the device body and struts (if provided) during thepackaging process to minimize their profile for stacking or rolling. Ifthe body and struts are pre-attached to the insulation material, theycan be compressed with the attached fibrous insulation material andpackaged into a rolled form. The method can alternatively oradditionally include deploying the insulation material. If struts areprovided on the device for maintaining the insulation space, the strutspreferably deploy substantially perpendicular to the body of the devicewhen the insulation is unpackaged by a user. Alternatively, if thedevice is provided in the form of an entangled netting structure, thedevice can be configured to be rolled up individually upon itself, or incombination with the insulation material.

In further accordance with the invention, a method of creating anembodiment of insulation spacer device (and the spacer device itself) isprovided. A suitably rigid cross bar is provided having suitably rigidstruts integral therewith disposed along the length of the cross bar.The cross bar is then affixed to a perforate mesh backing material thatis placed in contact with an unfaced fibrous insulation mass.Preferably, the backing is flexible and distorts to permit rolling-up ofthe spacer device either by itself or attached to insulation.

In further accordance with the invention, a method of forming aninsulation spacer for use, for example, between building sheathing andfibrous insulation is provided. Such spacer may be formed, for example,by forming depressions in sheet material or other material. Thedepressions are preferably about two inches across (or of other suitabledimension) and may be any shape (e.g., round, square, oval, rectangular,etc.). The depressions preferably have a depth of about 0.75 to 2.0inches and even more preferably a depth of 1.0 to 1.5 inches. The devicepreferably includes perforations that may be formed in the process ofmaking the depressions. In accordance with one embodiment, aunperforated portion (such as a land) may be formed in the bottom ofeach depression that is adapted and configured to contact the inside ofroof or wall sheathing (or other surface) wherein the device may beattached to the sheathing with staples, nails or other suitable means.The depressions may be spaced from one another in any desired patternand distance. In accordance with one embodiment, about four depressionsmay be formed within a one-square foot area of the device. Preferably,the spacing of the depressions is in a uniform pattern to facilitatestacking of a plurality of such devices for storage and shipment.Advantageously, such embodiments facilitate attachment to structuralcomponents of the building thereby facilitating their handling and use.

In further accordance with the invention, a method of utilizinginsulation spacing devices as described herein in interior partitionstreated with fibrous acoustical insulation such as in demisingpartitions between building tenants is also provided. In accordance withsuch method, the device may be employed in similar fashion to thermalinsulation applications. The body of the spacer device may be placedagainst the fibrous blanket and the points of the spacer struts orequivalent structure may contact the inside face of the wallboard. Thisapplication could be used on one or both sides of the fibrous blanket,forming a void or voids that permit the pulling of wires subsequent toconstruction of the partition.

In accordance with further aspects a method of constructing a buildingand associated resulting structure are provided. The method includesconstructing a wall structure from a plurality of vertically-orientedstuds to form an external wall of the building, applying sheathing to anouter surface of the studs, and applying a spacer device to an innersurface of the sheathing in a space defined by adjacent studs, thespacer device having a thermoformed body defining a plurality ofcorrugations along the thermoformed body, the spacer defining aplurality of openings therethrough that permits moisture to pass throughthe spacer. The method further includes disposing insulation materialproximate the spacer device, wherein the corrugations of the spacerdevice act to space the insulation material from the sheathing to form aventilation space between the building sheathing and the insulationmaterial, wherein the openings defined by the spacer body permitmoisture to be passed from the insulation material through the body ofthe spacer device into the ventilation space. The insulation materialcan be fibrous insulation material such as fiberglass, rock wool, blowncellulose, polymeric fiber batts or the like.

In accordance with a further aspect, the corrugations can be directedparallel, perpendicularly or obliquely with respect to the studs. Theopenings of the spacer can be aligned with the corrugations. If desired,the spacer device can be assembled from a plurality of smaller spacerdevices that are overlapped and held together by at least one attachmentinserts, the attachment insert having a body that includes at least oneprotrusion for mating with aligned openings defined through theplurality of smaller spacer devices. The spacer device can be secured tothe wall structure by applying a fastener to the attachment insert toattach the attachment insert to the wall structure.

In accordance with another aspect, the disclosure provides an insulationbatt made from a mass of polymeric thermoplastic fibers, wherein thebatt includes a longitudinal surface including at least one longitudinalgroove formed into the batt along its length to form at least oneventilation channel for facilitating ventilation of the insulation battafter installation. The longitudinal groove can be formed by theapplication of pressure and heat to the batt.

A building structure and associated construction method are alsoprovided. The structure includes a wall and/or roof structure formedfrom a plurality of vertically-oriented studs and/or rafters to form anexternal panel of the building. Sheathing is applied to an outer surfaceof the studs and/or rafters to form an inwardly facing building surface,and the polymeric insulation batt discussed immediately above isdisposed between the studs and/or rafters, wherein the longitudinalsurface having the at least one groove is oriented to contact theinwardly facing building surface, such that the at least one groove isvertically oriented to define at least one ventilation channel betweenthe interior building surface and the insulation material, wherein theheat and moisture can be transported from the insulation material intothe at least one ventilation channel to permit ventilation of theinsulation.

It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description andthe following detailed description are exemplary and are intended toprovide further explanation of the invention claimed. The accompanyingdrawings, which are incorporated in and constitute part of thisspecification, are included to illustrate and provide a furtherunderstanding of the methods and systems and devices of the presentinvention. Together with the description, the drawings serve to explainthe principles of embodiments of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 depicts a first embodiment of a ventilation spacer device made inaccordance with the invention, wherein the body of the device may be diepunched and formed from semi-rigid sheet material.

FIG. 2 depicts a second embodiment of a device made in accordance withthe invention, wherein the body of the device may be cast in a mold.

FIG. 3 depicts a third embodiment of a ventilation device made inaccordance with the invention, wherein the body of the device iscomposed of semi-rigid strips.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view depicting an embodiment of a device made inaccordance with the invention in use, illustrating a filament techniquefor attachment of the device to a fibrous insulation blanket.

FIG. 5 depicts a sectional view of an embodiment of a device made inaccordance with the invention utilizing a harpoon shaped device forattachment of the device to a fibrous insulation blanket.

FIG. 6 is a sectional view through several bays of roof structure andinsulation illustrating the prior art Rafter-Vent product used in afirst orientation not recommended by the manufacturer.

FIG. 7 is a sectional view through several bays of roof structure andinsulation illustrating the prior art Rafter-Vent product used in asecond orientation recommended by the manufacturer.

FIG. 8 is a sectional view through several bays of roof structure andinsulation illustrating use of a device made in accordance with theinvention.

FIGS. 9 and 10 illustrate the embodiment of FIG. 3 in various widthadjustments.

FIGS. 11 and 12 each illustrate different embodiments of a portion of adevice made in accordance with the embodiment of the invention shown onFIG. 3 and FIGS. 9 and 10.

FIG. 13 illustrates a “cathedral” type ceiling roof structure utilizinga device made in accordance with the invention.

FIG. 14 illustrates a fourth embodiment of a ventilation device made inaccordance with the invention.

FIGS. 14( a)-14(b) illustrate a fifth embodiment of a ventilation devicemade in accordance with the invention using, for example, entangled nettechnology as described in detail below.

FIG. 15 depicts the nesting ability of a device made in accordance withthe invention.

FIG. 16 illustrates the ability of a device, made in accordance with theinvention, to be coiled into a roll for compact packaging or storage.

FIG. 17 illustrates the ability of a device, made in accordance with theinvention when attached to fibrous insulation blankets, to be packagedor stored in a flat manner, with spacer studs facing each other.

FIG. 18 illustrates the ability of a device, made in accordance with theinvention when attached to fibrous insulation, to be coiled into a rollfor packaging or storage.

FIG. 19 is a horizontal section through an acoustically treatedpartition showing another use for a device made in accordance with theinvention.

FIGS. 20-23 depict views of a sixth embodiment of a ventilation spacerdevice made in accordance with the invention.

FIGS. 24-26 depict views of a seventh embodiment of a ventilation spacerdevice made in accordance with the invention.

FIGS. 27-28 depict views of an eighth embodiment of a ventilation spacerdevice made in accordance with the invention.

FIGS. 29-31 depict an exemplary building construction illustrating theventilation of exterior walls in accordance with certain aspects of theinvention.

FIGS. 32-38 depict further embodiments of spacer devices in accordancewith the disclosure and associated methods of manufacture. Such spacerscan be formed continuously at a high rate of manufacturing speed on highspeed thermoforming machines.

FIGS. 39-42 depict an embodiments of an insulation batt and associatedmethods of manufacture, wherein the insulation batt is formed from apolymeric insulation batt that is thermoformed into a self-ventilatinginsulation batt. The batt is preferably thermal-bonded polyester fibernonwoven batting formed at least in part from post-consumer recycledmaterial, such as polyethylene terephthalate material.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Reference will now be made in detail to the present preferredembodiments of the invention, examples of which are illustrated in theaccompanying drawings. The methods and corresponding steps of theinvention will be described in conjunction with the detaileddescriptions of the system.

The methods and devices presented herein may be used for maintaining aventilation space proximate to insulation material such as thermalinsulation. The present invention is particularly suited for maintaininga ventilation space proximate to fibrous thermal insulation, but may beapplied to other types of insulation material.

Spaces maintained in accordance with this invention are a significantimprovement over existing technology. Devices made in accordance withthe embodiments herein are suitable for use in roofs and ceilings whereventilation must be maintained in order to expel heat and moisture fromthermal insulation. In fact, the device is suitable for any applicationinvolving building surfaces where it is desired to maintain aventilation space. Devices made in accordance with the invention may beused in cathedral ceilings and roof structures or in flat roofstructures. Additionally, devices made in accordance with the inventionmay be used in roof and wall structures of buildings made of metal, suchas those made from corrugated steel, aluminum and composite materials.

An air space of approximately one and one-half inches is usuallyrecommended for effective ventilation of roofs through a spacer devicemade in accordance with the present invention. However, devices made inaccordance with the invention can be made to provide any size air spacedesired. The ever-greater requirements to increase insulation values andresultant increase of insulation thickness taxes that regulated airspace and requires a more substantial and positive method of maintainingthe ventilation space.

Unlike devices of the prior art as described initially herein, a spacerdevice made in accordance with the invention (e.g., as in any of theembodiments described herein) allows thermal insulation to ventilateover its entire area. Moreover, a device made in accordance with theinvention can be stored on a construction site with almost no danger ofdamage, deterioration or wind disbursement, as the openworkconfiguration permits wind to blow through the devices without movingthem. In addition, materials likely to be used to make a device inaccordance with the invention (e.g., plastic materials such as PVC,nylon or polyester) are tough and able to resist abuse and UVdegradation. In addition, accurate and positive regulation of theinsulation vent space offer the possibility of permitting a smallerrecommended depth, allowing greater R values to be used, thus resultingin a savings in construction cost. In addition, if a device made inaccordance with the invention is attached to insulation material, (e.g.,fiberglass blankets) in the factory, the proper and correct use, evenfor careless or untrained installers, is ensured.

A device made in accordance with the invention can incorporate aflexible mesh or openwork with a plurality of struts attached to, andprojecting perpendicularly from, the plane formed by the mesh oropenwork. A gridwork backing, where provided, will be almost completelyopen thereby exposing the entire face of the top of the insulation tothe air space to maximize the effectiveness of the ventilation.

Devices made in accordance with the invention can be delivered to thejobsite in a compact bundle of stacked units, in a roll that can be cutto the length required, or pre-attached to the insulation eitherrolled-up with the insulation or attached to it in straight packaging.

Though particularly advantageous when used in connection with thermalinsulation, devices made in accordance with the invention may alsoreadily be applied to insulation material used for other purposes, suchas acoustical insulation. Likewise, if a gap is not needed forinsulation for air circulation but for another purpose, the inventionmay advantageously be applied. For example, in a partition havingacoustical fibrous blankets for sound-deadening, the device can be usedto create a space for the pulling of wires or other flexible conduitsuch as certain plumbing.

As shown in the figures, devices made in accordance with the inventiongenerally include an openwork body that is preferably slightly narrowerin width than the distance between building structure framing members(e.g., joists). An openwork body can correspond to a structure whereinsufficient perforations or openings exist through the body to permittransport of air and moisture therethrough. In accordance with oneembodiment of the invention, attached and generally perpendicular to theplane formed by the body is a plurality of spacing struts more or lessevenly distributed along the planar surface of the body, facing awayfrom the body. The body is placed against the insulating material withthe tips of the spacing struts facing away from the insulation such thatthe struts contact the inside face of the building sheathing or metalwall of roof deck. Moreover, if attachment devices are placed on theopposing planar face of the body, they can anchor into fibrousinsulation, facilitating alignment therewith and insulationinstallation.

In some embodiments, the body of the device may be arranged such that itis not immediately adjacent to the insulation. For example, if strutsare arranged on both sides of the body, one set of struts may contactthe sheathing or flooring. The other set of struts may either anchorinto the insulation, or only press against the insulation; alternativelyit can be configured to have a first portion for anchoring into theinsulation, and a second portion with increased cross-sectional area forresting against the insulation and preventing penetration therethrough.

Alternatively still, two bodies may be provided, with struts creating anair space therebetween. In such an arrangement, one body rests againstthe sheathing or flooring, and the other body rests on the insulation.

For purpose of illustration and not limitation, a first embodiment ofdevice made in accordance with the present invention is illustrated inFIG. 1. In accordance with this embodiment of the invention, a body isprovided with an open mesh structure, where spacing struts are integralwith the mesh. Specifically, a body with perforations 1 is provided andcan be die cut from flexible plastic sheet, or other material. Thespacing struts 2 are cut and bent (or alternatively pre-formed) to beoriented in a direction generally perpendicular to the perforated body1. In accordance with one embodiment of the invention, a possiblelocation for an attachment device to secure the device to fibrousinsulating materials is indicated by reference numeral 3.

The patterns of openings in the embodiments depicted in FIGS. 1 and 2are only a suggestion of possible mesh configurations. Manyconfigurations are possible, and within the scope of the invention. Byway of example, three dimensional meshes and/or patterns based ondifferent geometric patterns (e.g., triangles, hexagons circles,polygons, etc.) are all possible.

The struts can be manufactured by punching by a die from flexibleplastic sheet along with the ventilation holes, or they can becast-molded along with the flexible mesh body as illustrated in FIG. 2,or composed of separate strips or filaments that are fused, glued orwoven to the body. Suitable materials, by way of example plasticmaterials, plastic coated paper or cellulose and/or metallic orcomposite materials can also be used. The material used should be ableto maintain its rigidity under various loading, moisture and temperatureconditions in order to maintain the ventilation space when in use.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of a mesh body which is cast or formed fromflexible material with the spacing struts 10 integrally formed with theopenwork body or formed separately and attached thereto. Openings 9 aredefined by elongate filaments 12 forming the openwork body permittingventilation therethrough. A possible attachment location 11 is alsoprovided for an attachment device as discussed below with regard to theembodiments of FIGS. 4-5. Attachment point 11 can be, for example, ahole for insertion of a separate attachment device or an attachmentdevice which is formed integrally with the mesh body.

For purpose of illustration and not limitation, another embodiment ofthe spacer device, made in accordance with the present invention, isillustrated in FIG. 3. This embodiment of the invention includes a bodyhaving flexible strips 13 assembled in a crisscross, parallelogram typeorientation with spacing struts 14 acting as pivot points for theparallelogram-oriented strips. Strut pins, alternatively, may beseparate from the body strips, with the struts inserted at each pivotpoint. This particular embodiment of the invention can provide for adevice having an adjustable width that can be altered prior toinstallation to accommodate rafter or joist spacings of any desireddimension as shown on FIG. 9 and FIG. 10. Adjustment can be achieved bypulling or pushing laterally on the body member, causing the openwork toexpand or contract respectively. For purpose of illustration and notlimitation, FIGS. 9 and 10 illustrate use of a device made in accordanceof this aspect of the invention and its appearance when adjusted forrafter spacings (e.g., from 12″ to 24″). However, it is to be understoodthat other widths (both narrower and wider) are within the scope of theinvention including, for example, 0.5, 1.5, 2.5, 3.0, 3.5, 4.0, 4.5, andfive feet.

The strut pins shown in FIG. 11 and FIG. 12 can additionally be providedwith an enlarged diameter 24 at a specific point along the shaft toallow for snap together assembly. The strut pins can also be integral toone set of strips as illustrated in FIG. 12. In accordance with thisaspect of the invention, FIGS. 11 and 12 illustrate two exemplaryversions of the spacer struts 22 with a bulge or “barb” 24 to facilitateassembly. FIG. 11 illustrates an independent pin that extends throughtwo body strips (23 and 25) and FIG. 12 depicts the pin integral to asingle body strip component.

It will be understood that while the spacer struts shown in FIG. 3 andin FIGS. 11 and 12 are illustrated as having the shape of round dowels,such struts can be made in any convenient shape, including that of flatstrips of various widths and thicknesses, hollow tubes, bent wires, etc.All of such shapes are contemplated by the present invention.

For purpose of illustration and not limitation, as embodied herein andas illustrated in FIG. 4, an additional embodiment of the invention isprovided. FIG. 4 depicts a sectional view through an insulation batt orblanket for factory attachment of a device made in accordance with theinvention (such as the device illustrated in FIG. 1 or 2) by using oneor more filaments 5. The filaments 5 preferably extend entirely throughthe insulation mass 7 from the inner surface of the insulation batt 4(usually made of paper or an aluminum foil and paper composite layer ora plastic material) to the device made in accordance with the invention.A button-like enlargement on the end of the filament prevents pull-out.

For purpose of illustration and not limitation, a sectional view isprovided in FIG. 5 depicting an insulation batt in combination with adevice for facilitating attachment. As depicted in FIG. 5, strategicallyplaced flexible “harpoons”, integral with, or attached to the device'sbody, are utilized. Reference numeral 6 indicates the ventilation devicewith spacer struts, shown in both the deployed and bent-over positions.Reference numeral 7 indicates the fibrous insulation mass, and referencenumeral 8 indicates the “harpoon” type fastening devices. Hot melt glueand other adhesives or attachment devices of other configurations couldalso be used to provide attachment between device 6 and the fibrousinsulation material 7, as can other mechanical fasteners. For example,if the device is used with rigid foam insulation, the device can besimply screwed into the foam. If used with fibrous insulation, hooks canbe applied to the side of the device adjacent the insulation to engagethe fibers of the insulation, thereby attaching the components.Moreover, the openwork body can alternatively be interwoven with thefibers of the insulation batt.

For purpose of illustration and not limitation, as embodied herein, FIG.8 depicts a transverse sectional view through several bays of roofstructure and insulation illustrating an exemplary embodiment of theinvention 19 demonstrating its effectiveness at maintaining a uniformair space in comparison with FIGS. 6 and 7 depicting the Rafter-Ventproduct. The openwork body of the device 19 exposes almost the entireinsulation surface to air movement. Reference numeral 20 depicts thefinished ceiling, usually made of gypsum board or plaster on lath.

For purpose of illustration and not limitation, FIG. 13 illustrates alongitudinal section through a “cathedral” ceiling roof structureshowing how an exemplary ventilation device 30 made in accordance withthe invention provides continuous ventilation of the insulation 27 fromthe eave vent inlet 26, to a ridge vent 29 or another upper outletdevice. Reference numeral 28 depicts the finished ceiling.

By way of further illustration and not limitation, another embodiment ofdevice made in accordance with the present invention is illustrated inthe isometric view in FIG. 14. This embodiment of the invention is madewith “entangled net technology”, a commercially available product whichhas been rolled to a precise thickness of open mesh after disbursementof extruded plastic filaments. This embodiment, made in accordance withthe present invention, has a body of “entangled net” sheet 32 withspacer struts 33 having enlarged bases for fused or glued attachment tothe body. Strategically located filament or harpoon anchors are attachedin similar manner to the spacer struts, but on the opposite side of thebody 34, 35 for attachment of the device to fibrous insulation. Theseattachment methods probably would not be used where the devices aredelivered to a construction site without insulation.

The “Entangled net” system is available commercially from Enka GeomatrixSystems, a Division of BASF Corporation of Enka, N.C., and itssuccessor, Colbond, Inc. U.S. Pat. No. 4,212,692 discloses a method offorming the “entangled net” material. U.S. Pat. No. 5,960,595 and U.S.Pat. No. 6,487,826 utilize this product in areas of roof ventilation atthe eave and ridge only. These patents are expressly incorporated byreference herein.

In further accordance with the invention, a method is provided. Inaccordance with this aspect of the invention, a device for maintainingan insulation space as described herein is provided, and thermalinsulation material (preferably fibrous insulation) is also provided.The method further includes the steps of placing the device formaintaining the insulation space proximate to the insulation material,and installing the components into a structure such that the device formaintaining the insulation space is interposed between buildingsheathing and the insulation material to permit ventilation of theinsulation. Preferably, the device is interposed between exposed thermalinsulation material and the underside of roof sheathing or the undersideof an attic floor. However, the device can be interposed between thethermal insulation material and wall sheathing, as desired. Any of thedevices described herein can be used likewise, in accordance with themethods of the invention.

In further accordance with the invention, the embodiment depicted inFIGS. 14 a and 14 b may be manufactured using “Entangled net” technologyas described herein or similar technology. Similar structures aredisclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,594,965, which is incorporated by referenceherein in its entirety. As illustrated in FIG. 14 a, 34 indicates thedevice. The tips of the pleats contact the inside face of roof or wallsheathing and spaces indicated by 35 partially contact the fibrousinsulation mass. The walls of the pleated form as indicated by 31 inFIG. 14 b are open to allow the flow of air for ventilation of the airspace defined by the device between the sheathing and insulation batt.The height of the device as indicated by 32 may be 1 to 3 inches, butpreferably be approximately 1.5 inches high.

In further accordance with the invention, the device as hereindescribed, such as the device depicted FIGS. 1 and 2, may be bundled forstorage and transportation by compressing the device body 38 and struts39 as illustrated in FIG. 16, to minimize their profile for rolling andnesting as depicted in FIG. 15 where struts 36 align with holes in theopenwork body 37. If the device is pre-attached to the insulationmaterial as depicted in FIGS. 4 and 5, the struts can be compressed withthe attached fibrous insulation material and bundled into a rolled form,as illustrated in FIG. 18. The method can alternatively or additionallyinclude deploying the insulation material. If struts are provided on thedevice for maintaining the insulation space, the struts preferablydeploy substantially perpendicular to the body of the device when theinsulation is unpackaged by a user.

Alternatively, the device attached to the fibrous insulation blankets asshown in FIG. 17, may be packaged in straight bundles wherein the spacerstruts 44 face each other and the struts of one insulation blanket'sventilation device penetrates through the other blanket's ventilationdevice mesh body into the mass of the opposite fibrous blanket.Conversely, the struts of the opposing assembly do the same. This pairof blankets is compressed and packaged with a plurality of other pairedsets.

Moreover, it is to be remembered that a device made in accordance withthe invention can also be used wherever it is desired to maintain aventilation space, or similar voids for other purposes, including wallsof structures, interior acoustically dampened partitions, or alternativeapplications such as automotive, marine, aviation or aeronauticalapplications.

In FIG. 19 which illustrates a horizontal section through anacoustically dampened interior partition, illustrates the device 49being deployed on one or both sides of the fibrous acoustical insulation50. The points of the struts contact the inner face of the wallboardfinish. 52 points to a wall framing member, and 53 indicates wiring thatcan easily be pulled for communication, and other purposes after theconstruction of the partition. Acoustical isolation may also beimproved.

For purposes of further illustration, and not limitation, FIG. 20illustrates a sectional view through one embodiment of a system(depicted in FIGS. 20-23) made in accordance with the inventionincluding a relatively rigid bar of struts 61 wherein the struts 61 areintegral with a backing bar 66 which is attached to a an openwork suchas a netting or mesh 60. The mesh 60 is preferably a flexible material.The backing bar 66 is preferably rigidly affixed to the struts 61 and ispreferably made from a rigid material, such as plastic that iscompatible with such mesh and capable of maintaining its rigidity inhigh heat roof cavity spaces. The backing bar 66 and struts 61 may beformed with the mesh 60, or may be formed separately and affixed to themesh 60. The length of the bar 66 is preferably short enough to permitinstallation between rafters or studs spaced 12 inches on center withoutcutting the rigid backing bar. If desired, a peripheral border or strip65 of the mesh 60 may be provided that does not include backing bar 66to permit the mesh 60 in that region to conform to adjacent structuralmembers.

As further depicted in FIG. 21, spacer struts 1 may bend over fordelivery and storage in a rolled-up form either rolled-up by itself orrolled-up with fibrous or other insulation blankets. Preferably, inaccordance with this embodiment, the struts are rigid and flexure occursin the mesh 64. FIG. 22 illustrates a further view of the assemblyshowing a plurality of strut-bar arrays attached to the ventilation mesh60. FIG. 23 depicts the spacer strut 61 and backing bar 66 independentlyfrom the openwork body mesh 60. Preferably, spacer strut 61 and backingbar 66 are formed from cast or molded plastic or other suitablematerial.

For purposes of further illustration and not limitation, FIGS. 24-26illustrate still another embodiment of the invention.

Specifically, FIG. 24 depicts a sectional view through anotherembodiment of a spacer device 72 including struts 71 disposed in anopenwork or mesh, 77. Struts 71 are depicted arranged generallyperpendicularly to a plane defined by the mesh backing 77. Struts 71 areadapted and configured to bend over when spacer device 72 is rolled-upfor storage or shipping. In this embodiment, the mesh 77 is preferablyrelatively more rigid and the strut 71 is preferably more flexible ascompared with the earlier described embodiment depicted in FIGS. 20-23.

FIG. 25 illustrates an exemplary flexible strut 71 having a flexibleportion connected to a base or mounting portion defining a recessed band73. Preferably, strut 71 is composed of a plastic or other suitablematerial that is adapted and configured to withstand the high heatachieved under roof sheathing and associated compression forces causedby stuffing insulation into roof structures. The material alsopreferably has suitable shape memory characteristics to recover itsstraightened form in the time between un-rolling and deployment on thejob site. In the depicted embodiment, the struts 71 may bemachine-inserted into holes defined in the mesh and a recessed band 73at the strut's base would lock it in place. FIG. 26 further depicts anisometric view of the assembly including mesh 76 and struts 71.

As further depicted in FIG. 26, not every opening defined in mesh 76 isnecessarily populated by a strut 71. While mesh 76 may include a networkof pre-defined holes, any desired pattern of struts 71 may be formed inthese openings. As depicted, struts 71 may be deposited into theopenings to form offset rows. However, as will be appreciated by thoseof skill in the art, any suitable pattern may be formed.

As further depicted in FIG. 26, a peripheral strip 78 of mesh 76 may beprovided without struts to facilitate use of the same device inapplications of different rafter or stud spacings. For example, such amesh generally designed for use between structural members separated by16 inches on center would typically have a width, for example of about14.5 inches (to account for the width of the structural members).However, by not placing struts 71 in the peripheral border or strip 78,the same 14.5 inch wide device can still be fitted into an openingbetween structural elements separated by a distance of 12 inches oncenter by folding up the peripheral strips during installation. It willbe appreciated that any embodiment explicitly described or incorporatedby reference herein can be modified to include a peripheral strip orother region that does not include struts for such a purpose. As thoseof skill in the art will note, the embodiment of FIG. 22 includesperipheral strips 65 free of struts. At the same time, it will berecognized that peripheral regions free of struts, while advantageous incertain contexts, are not necessary or essential to practice ofembodiments of the invention.

For the purposes of further illustration and not limitation, FIGS. 27and 28 illustrate still another embodiment of the invention utilizing aflat mesh body 81 which may be made, for example, of cast or die cutplastic, or other suitable material (such as composite material). Asdepicted, the ventilation space defined upon installation of the deviceis facilitated by depressions 82 formed into the mesh with a solidportion, or land, of the material at the bottom of the depression 82which is adapted and configured to contact the inside of wall or roofsheathing (or other surface, depending on the particular application)and facilitates the stapling or nailing of the spacer device to thesheathing. As will be appreciated, the elongate members extending fromthe body 81 may also simply be connected to each other, permitting astaple to be attached to the junction of the elongate members.

The depressions 82 are preferably evenly spaced along the plane of themesh body 81. For example, approximately four or more depressions couldbe located in each square foot of the area of the mesh body 81.Preferably, the pattern of depressions 82 is even and repetitive tofacilitate compact stacking of a plurality of such devices for purposesof storage and shipment. FIG. 27 depicts a cross section through thisembodiment showing the device, 81, the formed depression 82, the fibrousinsulation mass 85 and the roof or wall sheathing 84. FIG. 27 furtherdemonstrates attachment of the spacer device into the sheathing with astaple, nail or other suitable fastener 83. FIG. 28 is an isometric viewof this embodiment illustrating the perforated mesh body 81 of theventilation device, as well as the depressions 82 and the staple or nailattachment 83.

For purposes of further illustration, and not limitation, FIGS. 29-31illustrate how devices as described herein can be used to help ventilateexterior walls in a structure which, to the best knowledge of Applicant,have not before been ventilated as described herein.

Up to the current time, it is believed that construction has notattempted to ventilate the insulation in exterior walls, yet exteriorwalls can be the largest part of the envelopes of many buildings.Trapped moisture in fibrous insulation in walls has caused mold growthin houses, structural decay and has rendered the thermal properties ofinsulation either diminished or practically useless. It is even likelythat wet insulation is a superior conductor of heat and may actually beworse than no insulation at all.

Accordingly, Applicant has concluded that there is a need for positiveventilation of fibrous insulation in order to maintain the insulationvalues required in new construction. It is doubtful that construction ofbuildings even only a year or two old have the thermal resistance aswhen originally constructed. Moreover, depending on building exposures,climate, and the habits of the occupants, fibrous insulation may havevaried amounts of moisture. Fibrous insulation, whether made from glass,cellulose or slag, has a propensity to absorb and retain moisture.Drying this material, and keeping it dry, therefore may require thataffirmative steps be taken. In modern buildings, it can generally besaid that each year it takes slightly more fuel to heat or cool thebuilding due to deteriorating insulation. That amount of fuel consumednever goes down, and only goes up, unless something is done to remedythe situation.

Techniques described herein and illustrated in FIGS. 29-31 demonstratehow an insulation spacer device as described herein may be used inassociation with new construction. The same principle may be applied toexisting construction, with some modification. Siding and sheathing mayneed have to be replaced, but with the current price of fuel, there is arealistic pay-back period.

Description of Framing at Present and as Proposed

In what is commonly referred to as “platform construction”, the mostfrequently used method of framing a building, a floor platformconsisting of joists, in most cases, is covered with subflooring whichusually comprises plywood or boards. This surface is then used tolay-out the exterior walls which are usually of 6″ wood studs, requiredeconomically to accommodate R-19 fibrous insulation. Prior to theinstitution of most energy codes approximately twenty-five years ago, 4″wood studs were used for economy as insulation thicknesses were lessthan required by R-19. At that time there was resistance to changing to6″ studs because of increased cost due to the increased use of wood.This effectively reduced the usable size of a building with a foundationof a given size by 4″ in each direction.

The use of platform construction, aside from making walls easier tobuild, employs shorter lengths of lumber also has one other inherentadvantage. It also provides an automatic fire stop effect which did notexist in the earlier “balloon” framing method which has been used formany years, perhaps as early as medieval times. In the “balloon” method,walls were made up to three stories high in place and floor spanningmembers were inserted onto “ribbons” let into the sides of the verticalwall members. Among the problems with this kind of wall construction wasthat vertical fire spread was quite rapid due to the lack of a fire stopat each floor. Most buildings that burned did so faster than the abilityof firefighters to save them. Modern balloon framing, if used, requiresfirestopping to be employed at floor levels.

For purposes of illustration and not limitation, as illustrated in FIG.29, as with ordinary platform construction, the exterior wall studs 103are laid-out on the platform of 2×6's (i.e., lumber having a nominalcross-sectional lumber dimension of two by six inches). But instead of2×6's, the top and bottom plates 104 and 105 are formed of 2×4's (i.e.,lumber having a nominal cross-sectional lumber dimension of two by fourinches). The vertical 2×6 studs 103 and the horizontal 2×4 plates 104and 105 are allowed to sit on the platform 101 so that the interiorsurfaces of the studs 103 and plates 104 and 105 are flush. Carpenterscan then nail these members together into a complete wall structure withwindows and doors framed into the wall structure as is presently done.The carpenter may then nail temporary cleats to the outside of theplatform 101, and the framing 103, 104 and 105 is hoisted into placeusing the cleats as a pivot and to insure that the outside face of thebottom plate 105 is flush with the edge of the platform 101. Thisresults in a framed wall where the (approximately) outer most two inchesof each stud 103 stick out beyond the edge of the platform 101. The wallassembly 103, 104 and 105 is plumbed, squared and the sheathing 99 isapplied. All the walls are erected in the same manner and the roofrafters 97 and attic joists or second floor joists 98 are hoisted intoplace and a new second floor platform is created. Likewise, the exteriorwalls are formed and hoisted into place.

As depicted, at the outside edge of all floor platforms 101, prior toinstallation of wall sheathing, full 2″×2″ dimensional furring 96 isinstalled between the tops and bottoms of all stud projections to blockhorizontal fire spread at the edge of floor platforms 101. Accordingly,the studs 103 in the upper and lower walls are substantially inalignment. This will result in discrete vertical channels under thesheathing closing off any horizontal paths which fire could follow.

Like the “balloon” frame described above, however, there is a potentialcondition in FIG. 29 where a risk of vertical fire spread exists. Thiscan be addressed by installing a horizontally oriented strip 110 in eachspace between each pair of studs proximate the floor platform thatexpands when exposed to heat characteristic of a building fire. Thestrips may be preferably made at least in part from intumescentmaterial. Suitable materials can be obtained, for example, in strip formfrom companies such as Technical Fibre Products and others, preferablyhaving very high expansion ratios(www.techfibres.com/products_intumescent.htm). Device 110 can take anysuitable form. For example, device 110 may be composed of a plurality oflayers (e.g., 115, 116, 117) of similar materials or dissimilarmaterials. Preferably, the materials are all fire resistant in order toresist fire spread.

These materials and similar devices using these or similar substances asillustrated in FIG. 30 are adapted and configured to expand and seal offthe vertical passage between adjacent studs proximate the floorplatforms 101 to help prevent vertical fire spread. If desired, anintumescent strip 110 can be mounted on a horizontally oriented piece offurring, for example, between a half and inch and an inch and a quarterin thickness, thus reducing the gap in the vertical channel proximatethe intumescent device to anywhere between about ⅛ of an inch to abouthalf an inch. Reducing the dimension of the channel in this manner willstill permit sufficient ventilation of the insulation material, butnonetheless ensure that the intumescent fire stop will work properly.Repair of a burned wall would require replacement of all parts of thewall including the intumescent device 110. The bottom edge of buildingframing located on the sill plate at the foundation could have anothermanufactured strip or vent structure 109 as illustrated in FIG. 31. Thisstrip may contain a screen device 120 to keep out insects and valve ordamper door 119 perhaps every 16″ or so horizontally. The dampers arepreferably configured to prevent cold air from entering the ventilationspace at night and on cold days. The dampers preferably only open duringthe day when warming air in the walls and roof create a flow to providethe ventilation. The dampers may have a simple thermostatic spring or beopened by natural convective airflow, gravity (e.g., being weighted tobias them open or closed), by manual action, or other means. The arepreferably no soffit vents present in the structure depicted in FIG. 29,and in fact the soffits and fascias as well as other enclosing eaveparts would preferably be caulked tight to prevent a loss of air flow.

After erection of walls, floors and roofs and prior to installation offibrous insulation batts or blankets 106 (or contemporaneously with suchinstallation), a spacer device made in accordance with the presentinvention may be mounted, as desired, in walls, roofs and under atticsubfloors.

As will be further appreciated by those of skill in the art, while thesystem depicted herein may be designed for placement between rafters orstuds spaced 12 or 16 inches on center, the system may be sized andshaped for placement between rafters or studs of any particular spacing,such as for example: 6 inches, 18 inches, 20 inches, 24 inches, 30inches, 32 inches, 36 inches, or 48 inches on center, among others, andmay be employed in steel framed structures as well as wood framedstructures. In accordance with still another embodiment, the techniquesdescribed herein can advantageously be applied in the context ofpremanufactured homes.

By way of still further example, the construction techniques describedherein may be applied to existing structures, for example, by removingthe sheathing in the structure, adding furring strips to the existingstuds 103 and over the floor platforms 101 to create vertical channelsalong the height of the building, and modifying the soffits to createcontinuous flow passages from the bottom of the building up to the ridgevent. Ventilation spacers 111 can then be provided as described herein.

Horizontally oriented intumescent devices 110 can be installed proximatethe floor platforms to replicate the structure depicted in FIG. 29.While such reconstruction may seem extreme initially, the removal ofsheathing may be necessary to combat mold that has grown in thestructure due to inadequately ventilated insulation, and it thusotherwise necessary.

If desired, it is also possible to use more conventional 2×4construction and avoid using the above-described technique by drillingholes through the floorplates to connect the air passages in wallcavities on subsequent floors. However, this is not as preferred as theaforementioned technique. In accordance with another embodiment, holesare provided through external sheathing proximate the floor plates orall along the sheathing and a layer of openwork spacing material is alsoprovided on the outside of the sheathing permitting the verticalventilation flowpath to be completed by routing it outside of thebuilding, around the floorplate and back into the building. Suchexternal spacer can be one that separates the outer surface of thesheathing from a further exterior layer, such as shingles. Such spacersare made, for example, by the Benjamin Obdyke company and aresubstantially described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,594,965, which isincorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

Applicant also believes that insulation in fibrously insulated newconstruction can be vulnerable to moisture present in the buildingmaterials adjacent the insulation batts, specifically constructionlumber. Wall assemblies of the prior art are generally well-sealed longbefore the moisture in green or semi-green lumber has dissipated.Applicant believes that this moisture may contribute to the degradationof fibrous wall insulation, as well as moisture hailing from othersources.

Further exemplary ventilation devices for the maintenance of theintegrity of fibrous building insulation provided by this disclosure canbe made by a continuous forming process. The material from which thedevice is formed is preferably a plastic and/or composite material ableto resist deformation in moderate working temperatures. The forming ofsuch devices in a continuous process, off of a roll can include formingtemperatures exceeding those working temperatures.

Ventilation can be achieved with rows of diecut holes punched or louversformed prior to, during or after thermoforming. The holes and/or louverscan be formed through the sheet in a prior process, or can be formedimmediately before entering the thermoforming machine. Registration ofthe rows of holes and/or louvers is preferably maintained with respectto corrugations or undulating portions of the spacer device.

In accordance with another embodiment, a spacer device is providedfurther including snap-in clips to aid in installation prior toinstalling fibrous insulation, The clips can also be used to join theends of two pieces of the device.

For purposes of illustration, and not limitation, FIG. 32 illustrates anisometric view of an exemplary device 201, having a body preferably madeof a thermoformed plastic of sufficient thickness to resist the forcesthat will be applied to it, such as between 1/16″ and 3/32″ thick; butthe device may be somewhat thinner or thicker as appropriate. Perforatedholes 202 can be formed in device 201, to permit air flow betweenbuilding wall and roof sheathing and the fibrous thermal insulation. Ifdesired, louvers (not shown) can be substituted for punched holes 202,as louvers can be formed without punching out material yet stillproviding holes. This results in less waste than punching holes andsimplifies the manufacturing process. Snap-in attachment inserts 203 canbe provided to secure the device to building framing members prior toinstallation of the insulation. These inserts 203 can also be used tojoin the ends of separate lengths of the device 201 by aligning theholes at the end of each device, and securing them together usinginserts 203.

The device 201 may also be attached with staples to the buildingsheathing. Corrugations 204 can be provided to make the total thicknessof the device between about ⅝″ and 2″ thick, more preferably betweenabout 1″ and 1½″ of total thickness.

FIG. 33 is a cross sectional view of the exemplary device 201 of FIG. 32at the point of insertion of the snap-in clip inserts, illustratingventilation holes 202 which may be about ½″ in diameter, but may belarger or smaller, as desired. Inserts 203 can installed by flexing theinsert 203, and inserting the projecting pegs of the insert into theholes 202 of the device 201 and then restoring the device to a straightconfiguration securing the pegs in the holes. FIG. 34 is a cross-sectionillustrating how insert 203 can be used to join two spacer devices 201.FIG. 35 is a transverse section at the edge of the device 201illustrating the insert 203 securing the device to wood buildingframing, illustrating the thermal insulation 205 and the buildingframing and sheathing 206. FIG. 36 is a transverse section at the edgeof the device 201 illustrating installation of the device 201 withstaples 207 secured into the building sheathing.

FIG. 37 is an exemplary schematic demonstrating one embodiment of amethod for making the corrugated devices depicted herein by way ofthermoforming, for example, by directing a web 208 of plastic material(such as PET or PVC plastic) through a pair of interdigitated formingrollers 209 to continuously impart corrugations to make device 201. Ifdesired, the rollers can also be adapted to form holes 202 in the device201. If holes 202 are provided before directing the web 208 through therollers 209, the holes 202 can be adapted to provide registration withoptional alignment bosses 209A on the surfaces of the rollers 209. Theweb 208 can be heated before being passed through the rollers, forexample, by infrared radiation. The web 208 is then frozen withcorrugations by rollers 209 to form the device by rollers 209. By way offurther example, it is also contemplated to provide a separate operationto form holes 202 after the corrugations are formed in device 204.

FIG. 38 illustrates an alternate embodiment of an insulation spacerdevice 301, wherein the direction of the corrugations 304 is rotated by90 degrees, such that the spacer 301 has more rigidity in thelongitudinal direction. Like reference numerals as the first embodimentillustrate holes 302 and the like. In both embodiments, the corrugationsare formed such that alternating segments of the spacers lie on spacedparallel planes connected to each other by angled segments. All or asubset of the adjoined segments can have openings defined therethrough.The angled segments can be angled at an oblique angle (e.g., 45 degrees)with respect to the parallel pairs of segments, or may be perpendicularsuch that all segments are at 90 degrees with respect to each other. Itwill be understood that while the corrugations 204, 304 are illustratedas having linear sharp edges, they may also be curved with apredetermined radius, as desired. There need be no flat surfaces ofspacers 201, 301, and instead the cross sectional profile can be agently undulating shape, such as a sinusoidal cross-section havingopenings through the spacer wherever desired. Also, while openings areillustrated as being spaced from the joints of adjacent segments, itwill be appreciated that the openings can also coincide with the jointsif desired.

In accordance with a further embodiment, an exemplary ventilating deviceis provided wherein the ventilation channels are integrally formed onone surface of the insulation mass opposite a side attached, forexample, to a paper or plastic or aluminized surface used as anattachment means and vapor barrier, if desired. The aluminized surface,if used, serves as an additional means of reducing radiant energy loss.The channels are formed on the side of the insulation batt contactingthe wall or roof sheathing. Moreover, a method of forming theventilation channels on the surface of the insulation is also providedwherein heated rollers are employed that may be heated electrically orwith fluids maintaining a temperature that will result in the formationof the channels. A plurality of channels are preferably formedlongitudinally providing a continuous integrally ventilated insulationmass.

For purposes of illustration, and not limitation, as embodied herein,FIG. 39 illustrates an isometric view of a portion of an insulation battmade of drawn fibers of polyester or similar plastic assembled and boundin a non-woven fashion. Reference 401 indicates the fibrous mass whichhas well formed edges, while 402 indicates longitudinal ventilationchannels added to the batt. A suitable fibrous batt without channels canbe made, for example, from bonded non-woven (preferably thermoplastic)polyester fiber such as that manufactured under the brand name“EN-GUARD” as made by VITA NON-WOVENS of High Point, N.C. Unlike fibrousthermal insulation made from glass fibers and cellulose fibers, fibrousmass of polyester insulation may be formed into a well defined shape byregulating the temperature of the material during manufacture permittingfibers to bond at contact thus maintaining a controlled shape. Glass andcellulose fibers do not have this ability and the shapes of insulationof these materials tend to more poorly defined. Reference 409 indicatesthe edge of a membrane attached to the inside face of the insulationbatt and is used for attachment to building framers. Reference 411indicates the thickness of the insulation which varies with the desiredthermal resistance required. Reference 412 indicates the width which isusually manufactured to fit snugly between framers of commonly usedspacings. For example the most common spacing, 16″ on center requires abatt approximately 14½″ wide. Other manufactured widths could be 10½″for 12″ spacing and 22½″ for 24″ spacing.

For purposes of further illustration, FIG. 40 is a longitudinal sectionthrough a trough or similar device used to form the non-woven bundle ofpolymeric fiber into a continuous, well-formed insulation batt.Specifically, reference 401 represents the insulation mass composed ofnon-woven polyester or other suitable polymer. The arrows indicate thedirection of movement of the batt 401. Reference 402 points to thegrooves formed into the face of the insulation batt. Reference 403 is aheated roller pressing into the insulation batt to form a plurality ofventilation grooves. The grooves 402 are preferably formed to a depth ofat least ⅝″ and a maximum of 1½″, but may be greater or less as desired.In accordance with one embodiment, a preferred depth is 1″.

Reference 404 indicates a drive roller which can be used to cool anddrive the insulation mass. Spaced spikes 405, if desired, can beattached to the roller to enhance traction and insure ventilationpenetrations at uniform intervals as the fusing heat might otherwisemelt the formed surface into a membrane. The fusing heat is carefullycontrolled to minimize undesired melting and/or deformation. Reference406 indicates the trough or conveyance for the formation of thenon-woven insulation batt which is cut to lengths as required forpackaging. Reference 411 indicates the depth of the batt which variesaccording to the desired R value of the product.

For purposes of still further illustration, FIG. 41 is a transversesection through a trough, 406 carrying the formed insulation batt mass,401 at the heated forming roller, 403. Reference 402 indicates thegrooves formed into the insulation mass. Reference 403 indicates theheated forming roller with convolutions concentric with those of theroller spaced and sized as required in order to form the grooves of thedepth 413 as desired depending on the particular application for thegrooved insulation batt.

For purposes of further illustration reference 407 indicates the heatinput into the roller which may be of electrical resistance coils,heated fluid coils or other source. Reference 408 indicates the rolleraxles which can be hollow to provide access for heating or otherpurposes, or may be solid. The axles are adapted and configured to ridein bearings and to be engaged to drive mechanisms.

FIG. 42 illustrates an exemplary transverse section through a trough,406 carrying the formed insulation batt mass, 401 at the drive roller,404 which may also be used to cool and stabilize the heat-formedgrooves, 402. Reference 405 points to optional spikes spaced around thecircumferences of the drive roller 404. The spikes 405 provideadditional traction for movement of the insulation mass through thetrough 406, as well as ensuring ventilation of the insulation throughthe formed surface into the insulation mass. Reference 408 indicates thedrum axles which may be solid, or hollow to supply refrigerant coils forcooling. The axles ride in bearings and are engaged to drive mechanisms.Reference 411 indicates the thickness of the insulation and 412indicates the width of the insulation batt. Aluminized surfaces can beapplied to any surface of the batt before or after processing, asdesired, to increase radiative heat reflection. Preferably, analuminized or otherwise reflective surface (not specificallyillustrated) is applied to the surface of the batt opposite the grooves402. Such a surface can be, for example, a foil layer that can include apolymeric layer, and/or can include a metallized plastic layer.

The following patents and patent applications are also incorporated byreference in their entirety for any purpose whatsoever: U.S. Pat. Nos.1,572,126, 2,872,101, 3,196,797, 4,032,264, 4,541,787, 5,603,612,5,294,480, 6,604,330 and 6,540,491, and U.S. patent application Ser. No.11/713,189, filed Mar. 2, 2007, U.S. patent application Ser. No.12/012,248, filed Feb. 1, 2008 and U.S. patent application Ser. No.12/100,566, filed Apr. 10, 2008.

The methods and systems of the present invention, as described above andshown in the drawings, provide for an insulation spacing system withsuperior properties to those of the prior art. Embodiments of thepresent invention are adapted and configured to provide superiorventilation potentially leading to decreased mold and toxic conditionsand buildings, thereby benefiting the general health of the population.It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that variousmodifications and variations can be made in the device and method of thepresent invention without departing from the spirit or scope of theinvention. Thus, it is intended that the present invention includemodifications and variations that are within the scope of the subjectdisclosure and equivalents.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method of constructing a building comprising:a) constructing a wall structure from a plurality of vertically-orientedstuds to form an external wall of the building; b) applying sheathing toan outer surface of the studs; c) applying a spacer device to an innersurface of the sheathing in a space defined by adjacent studs, thespacer device having a thermoformed body defining a plurality ofcorrugations along the thermoformed body, the spacer defining aplurality of openings therethrough that permits moisture to pass throughthe spacer; and b) disposing insulation material proximate the spacerdevice, wherein the corrugations of the spacer device act to space theinsulation material from the sheathing to form a ventilation spacebetween the building sheathing and the insulation material, wherein theopenings defined by the spacer body permit moisture to be passed fromthe insulation material through the body of the spacer device into theventilation space.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the corrugationsare directed parallel to the studs.
 3. The method of claim 1, whereinthe corrugations are directed perpendicularly to the studs.
 4. Themethod of claim 1, wherein the openings are aligned with thecorrugations.
 5. The method of claim 1, wherein the spacer device isassembled from a plurality of smaller spacer devices that are overlappedand held together by at least one attachment inserts, the attachmentinsert having a body that includes at least one protrusion for matingwith aligned openings defined through the plurality of smaller spacerdevices.
 6. The method of claim 5, wherein the spacer device is securedto the wall structure by applying a fastener to the attachment insert toattach the attachment insert to the wall structure.
 7. An insulationbatt made from a mass of polymeric thermoplastic fibers, wherein thebatt includes a longitudinal surface including at least one longitudinalgroove formed into the batt along its length to form at least oneventilation channel for facilitating ventilation of the insulation battafter installation.
 8. The insulation batt of claim 7, wherein thelongitudinal groove is formed by the application of pressure and heat tothe batt.
 9. A building structure, comprising: a) a wall and/orstructure from a plurality of vertically-oriented studs and/or raftersto form an external panel of the building; b) sheathing applied to anouter surface of the studs and/or rafters to form an inwardly facingbuilding surface; c) insulation batt of claim 7 disposed between thestuds and/or rafters, wherein the longitudinal surface having the atleast one groove is oriented to contact the inwardly facing buildingsurface, such that the at least one groove is vertically oriented todefine at least one ventilation channel between the interior buildingsurface and the insulation material, wherein the heat and moisture canbe transported from the insulation material into the at least oneventilation channel to permit ventilation of the insulation.